Outdoor Yard Games for Groups

• Outdoor yard games can be an active alternative to sitting inside and playing board games, cards or charades when having groups of friends or family over to your home. While indoor games are ideal for after dark activities and rainy days, outdoor games allow your company to enjoy the fresh air and potentially even get some exercise. Here are a few ideas for your next group get together.
  
  

Wiffle Ball

• Wiffle Ball can be played in various ways. Some Wiffle Ball games mirror the rules of baseball, including innings, outs, balls, strikes and running bases. Alternative rules may exclude base running altogether, and may limit the number of balls and strikes to make the game play faster. When running bases are excluded, runners are replaced with ghost runners who simulate the running experience. These are imaginary runners who are managed at the players' discretion. In this case, hitting zones are predetermined, with areas set aside for outs, singles, doubles, triples and home runs. Team members also play defense and can record outs by catching a ball in any of the areas. Wiffle Ball is an active game that requires some mobility, and can be loads of fun.
  
  

Beach Ball Volleyball

• Beach ball volleyball simplifies the game of volleyball so that people of all ages and athletic skill can participate. The rules are played exactly as volleyball is played, however a beach ball is used in place of a volleyball. Volleyballs can sting and hurt people if struck at high velocities. Even the hardest hit beach ball will do little damage to a player. The flight of the beach ball also adds more time for players to react, making the game fun and exciting.
  
  

Corn Hole

• Corn hole is an outdoor group game that has become popular at tailgating events, but can also be played in your own backyard. The game is played with eight bean bags, generally consisting of two sets of four. Two angled platforms are positioned approximately 20 to 35 feet apart from each other, depending on preferred game play. Players alternate tossing bean bags from one platform to the other. One point is awarded for landing a bean bag on the platform, and getting the bean bag to stick on the surface without falling off. Three points are awarded for tossing the bean bag through the cutout hole in the center of the platform. Teammates stand at opposite platforms when playing, each tossing two bean bags per round. Rounds and point totals vary depending on players' game preferences. Bean bags that are knocked off the platform mid-round by either the same player or the opponent, do not count toward point totals.